Italian Sausage Minestrone

Name: Italian Sausage Minestrone
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 1 h 15 min
Total time: 1 h 35 min
Yield: 13 servings (3-1/4 quarts).
Ingredients: 1 pound bulk Italian sausage; 2 large carrots, chopped; 2 celery ribs, chopped; 1 medium onion, chopped; 6 garlic cloves, minced; 3 tablespoons olive oil; 7 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth; 2 cans (15 ounces each) cannellini beans, rinsed and drained; 2 cans (14-1/2 ounces each) fire-roasted diced tomatoes, undrained; 2 bay leaves; 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning; 1 tablespoon tomato paste; 1 cup ditalini or other small pasta; Shredded or shaved Parmesan cheese

This no-fuss minestrone is perfect family fare on chilly days. Feeling daring? Substitute a can of butter beans or pinto beans for one of the cans of cannellini beans. I serve it with warm with crusty French bread for dipping into the broth.—Elizabeth Renteria, Vancouver, Washington

Ingredients

1 pound bulk Italian sausage
2 large carrots, chopped
2 celery ribs, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
6 garlic cloves, minced
3 tablespoons olive oil
7 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
2 cans (15 ounces each) cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
2 cans (14-1/2 ounces each) fire-roasted diced tomatoes, undrained
2 bay leaves
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 cup ditalini or other small pasta
Shredded or shaved Parmesan cheese

Directions

In a Dutch oven, cook sausage over medium heat until no longer pink; drain.
In the same pan, saute the carrots, celery, onion and garlic in oil until tender. Stir in the broth, beans, tomatoes, bay leaves, Italian seasoning, tomato paste and sausage. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 30 minutes, adding pasta during the last 6-8 minutes. Cook, uncovered, until pasta is tender.
Freeze option: Before adding pasta, cool soup. Freeze soup and cheese separately in freezer containers for up to 3 months. To use, partially thaw in refrigerator overnight. Place in a Dutch oven. Bring to a boil. Stir in pasta; return to a boil. Reduce heat; cook, uncovered, for 6-8 minutes or until pasta is tender. Serve with cheese.

Nutrition Facts

1 cup: 280 calories, 15g fat (4g saturated fat), 27mg cholesterol, 828mg sodium, 25g carbohydrate (4g sugars, 4g fiber), 12g protein.

Originally published as Italian Sausage and Cannellini Bean Minestrone in Taste of Home October 2011

Reviews

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Average Rating:

JMartinelli13

Jan 10, 2018

I used hot turkey sausage, and there was very little fat to drain. You can't get much better than the smell of carrots, celery, onions and garlic softening in oil. This comes together pretty quickly. If you are serving the entire batch right away, it's easy to add the pasta, bring everything back up to a boil and cook it through. For single servings, watch that the pasta doesn't stick to the bottom of the vessel and burn. Thank you Elizabeth R for the wonderful recipe!
Momof3.Lex

Aug 4, 2017

I have made this MANY times for many people and have never had a person who didn't love it!! My absolute FAVORITE recipe ever!
pajamaangel

Jul 14, 2017

This recipe is delicious. I had to use gluten free elbows instead of the ditalini, but it was still quite good. It makes a ton so you may have to scale back or freeze some.
Janice

Feb 12, 2017

I made this recipe today and it is amazing! Probably the best soup I have ever made, and I've made many. Makes a good sized pot so lots to go around. The combination of flavors from the ingredients are infused enhancing the flavor. This is a keeper that I'll make time and time again!
momof2inpa

Jan 14, 2017

A new family favorite. Absolutely delicious.
KC-from-Dunnellon

Aug 2, 2016

Love this quick soup. I also sauted the tomato paste with the garlic before adding the liquids. I used beef broth as well as chicken base. For the seasoning I used dried basil and thyme. Super delicious with the sausage.
Sweetandsimple

Jan 15, 2015

I have been making this soup on a regular basis ever since I found it in the magazine . It's very good.
KelleyEE

Nov 14, 2012

My family absolutely loved this soup. My husband is still talking about it days later. We all took leftovers for lunch the next day, and looking forward to at least one more meal for our family of 3 from this batch. The recipe gives instructions for freezing this, but we went ahead and put the pasta in now with plans to finish it with leftovers without freezing.You of course don't have to use Johnsonville sausage! The original print version from the magazine doesn't specify that - nice advertising Johnsonville! You could probably use regular diced tomatoes, but I think the fire roasted adds a nice flavor. Serve with a good multigrain fresh loaf of bread.
jillcr11

Sep 20, 2012

Easy and tasty.
rustedgold1

Jan 27, 2012

This soup is very good. I agree that more broth is a great idea because it did get a bit too thick after overnight in the fridge. Will do 8 cups of broth next time.